Get ready for a creamy delight with our Instant Pot Cream Cheese Chicken it's comfort food at its easiest. Imagine juicy chicken in a dreamy cream cheese sauce, all done in a flash with your Instant Pot.
If you're after a simple and tasty dinner, you're in the right spot. Let's keep it easy and delicious with this Cream Cheese Chicken Instant Pot recipe!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy and Savory: The cream cheese adds a lusciously rich texture to the chicken breast.
- Efficient Cooking: You can create a gourmet chicken breast using your Instant Pot dish in no time.
- Versatile Pairing: This cream cheese chicken recipe pairs well with any choice of side, from Steamed Veggies to Grains.
📋 Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Serve for this Instant Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Breast recipe.
- Cream Cheese: The creaminess of the cheese balances out the spices and adds a delicious depth of flavor.
- Water: To create steam and help cook the chicken breasts.
- Salt: Brings out the savory taste and adds depth to the overall dish.
- Everything but the Bagel Seasoning: Provides a savory and slightly tangy taste, giving the chicken a burst of flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Provide a subtle kick that balances out the creamy and savory flavors of the cream cheese and seasoning.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Instant Pot Cream Cheese Chicken and Pasta: This variation incorporates cooked egg noodles into the recipe, creating a hearty one-pot meal.
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken: A popular variant that adds ranch seasoning, shredded cheese, and often includes bacon for additional flavor. You can use either chicken breasts or thighs in this recipe.
- Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken: This recipe introduces garlic powder and grated parmesan to the cream cheese mix, offering a more Italian-inspired flavor profile.
- Add Onion Soup Mix: Replace the Italian dressing mix with onion soup mix and add onion powder for a deep, savory flavor.
- Thigh Swap: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts for juicier meat.
- Broth Boost: Choose chicken broth over water for a richer flavor.
- Creamy Cheddar Change: Opt for cheddar cheese or sour cream in place of cream cheese for a tangier taste, but be aware that cheddar can alter the texture.
🔪How to Make Instant Pot Cream Cheese Chicken?
- Step 1: Begin by mixing together your cream cheese, red pepper flakes, and everything but the bagel seasoning.
- Step 2: Score each chicken breast about eight times. Depends on how large your chicken breast is. Between each score, add in your cream cheese mixture.
- Step 3: Take 2 tablespoons of your Everything But the Bagel seasoning and add to your food processor. If you do not have one, you can use the back of your spoon or a knife to create a finer texture. Add on top of each chicken breast.
- Step 4: Create a boat with your aluminum foil with the chicken breast inside each one. Wrap the foil.
- Step 5: Add one and a half cups of water to your Instant Pot. Place the trivet inside and add each foil packet to your Instant Pot. Cook for 18 minutes on high pressure. Once the chicken is done, allow them to naturally release for about five minutes.
- Step 6: Insert a food thermometer to make sure that each chicken breast is 165°. If you don't have one, check the the chicken with a fork to ensure it's cooked through. You can top each chicken with a little bit more seasoning, or chicken flakes. I like to eat it with a side of salad, a Baked Potato, or Macaroni Salad!
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Master Your Instant Pot: Ensure the cover is locked and the steam vent sealed before starting to properly pressurize your cooker.
- Opt for Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Boneless chicken cooks evenly and shreds easily in the Instant Pot, perfect for this creamy dish.
- Pressure Cooking Is Key: Cook the chicken on high pressure for 18 minutes, then allow a natural release for five minutes for tender results.
💭 FAQs
Absolutely! The Instant Pot is perfect for cooking frozen chicken breasts. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Yes! You can create a boat with your aluminum foil so that it does not get in direct contact with the pot. I did this for all three of my chicken breasts and they were perfect! The chicken was moist, tender, and extremely flavorful.
Definitely! To adapt this recipe for a slow cooker, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time. Typically, chicken recipes take around 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low in a slow cooker.
It is not necessary to shred the chicken for this recipe. The recipe calls for whole chicken breasts, which keep their shape well during cooking and absorb the flavors of the cream cheese sauce.
If you prefer shredded chicken, you can certainly do so, but using whole breasts is the original method for this recipe.
Cream cheese chicken breast will keep good in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. It can be stored in a ziplock bag with all of the air sucked out. I would recommend to use a vacuum sealer for this process as it will ensure that your chicken is airtight.
Store your cooked cream cheese chicken breast in the fridge for 2-3 days. I would recommend freezing the cooked chicken with the cream cheese mixture inside . Freeze for 2-3 months only. It is important that the chicken reaches room temperature before you freeze it.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cheese Chicken:
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes: These crispy and flavorful potatoes make a great accompaniment to the creamy chicken, adding a pleasant contrast in textures.
- Steamed Green Beans: A light and healthy side, green beans provide a nice crunch and vibrant color to your meal.
- Caesar Salad: This classic salad with its tangy dressing complements the rich flavors of the chicken dish perfectly.
Instant Pot Cream Cheese Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken Breasts
- 4 oz Cream Cheese half a brick
- 3.5 tablespoon Everything But The Bagel Seasoning divided
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Begin by mixing together your 1.5 tablespoon cream cheese, red pepper flakes, and everything but the bagel seasoning.
- Score each chicken breast about eight times. Depends on how large your breast is.
- Between each score, add in your cream cheese mixture.
- Take 2 tablespoons of your everything but the bagel seasoning and add to your food processor. If you do not have one, you can the back of your spoon or a knife to create a finer texture. Add on top of each chicken breast.
- Create a boat with your aluminum foil with the chicken breast inside each one.
- Add one and a half cups of water to your instant pot. Place the trivet inside and add each chicken breast covered aluminum foil to your instant pot. If you have a tall trivet, you can add that in for the third breast to rest on. If not, they can lay on top of one another.
- Cook for 18 minutes on high pressure. Once the chicken is done, allow them to naturally release for about five minutes, followed by a manual release by pulling the valve to release pressure.
- Insert of food thermometer to make sure that each chicken breast is 165°. If you don't have one, check the the chicken with a fork to ensure it's cooked through.
- You can top each chicken with a little bit more seasoning, or chicken flakes. I like to eat it with a side of salad, a baked potato, or macaroni salad!
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